Improvement in cooling preserving-houses, packing-houses, refrigerators



i D. E. SOMES.

Cooling Preserving Houses, Packing Houses, 8L0.

Patented Feb 28,1865.

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UNITED STATES DANIEL It. SOMES, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT lN COOLING PRESERVING-HOUSES, PACKING-HOUSES, REFRIGERATORS,AND OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 46,595, dated February28, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL E. SoMEs, of the city of WVashington andDistrict of Golumbia, have made certain new and useful Improvements inOoolingVessels, Boxes, Chambers, Packing Houses, Preserving Houses, andlike Vessels and Structures, in which articles of food and othersubstances are to be preserved or stored; and I hereby declare that thefollowing is a full and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, makingpart of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in cooling vessels, boxes, chambers,and other similar structures, in which perishable articles are to bekept, by means of a current of water cooled by being made to descendbelow the surface of the earth, in the manner herein more fullyexplained, also by means of air cooled as hereinafter described. Thetemperature of the earth at a short distance below its surface is nearlyconstant throughout the year, so that well and spring water is nearly ofthe same temperature in summer andwinter. In those parts of the countryin which cool flowing springs are found it is easy to have at all timescool dairies and houses for preserving fresh meats and fruits; but incities and other places where such springs are not to be found the onlygoodsubstitute yet foundhas been those structures and vessels commonlycalled refrigerators, in which ice is used as the cooling agent; but iceis generally expensive, and the refrigerators are, therefore, commonlymade small and close, so that the ventilation is not such as to keep thearticle to be preserved in good flavor. I

In refrigerators and preserving-houses, packing-houses, and othervessels constructed according to my invention, a low and uniformtemperature may be had throughout the year without the necessity ofusing ice, and whenice is used very much less will be required than inrefrigerators of the ordinary construction. WVhen a convenient supply ofwater can be obtained with sufficient head to rise into the vessels tobe cooled, as in cities and other places which have water-works, Ieffect the cooling of the water in the following manner: The water pipesor mains are connected with a descending pipe, which connects with oneor more subterranean tanks, pipes, or reservoirs lying at sufficientdepth below the surface of the earth-say, from thirty to fifty feet moreor less. In passing through these reservoirs or tanks the water iscooled to the same temperature as the earth at this point. After thewater has passed through the cooling-tanks it can be made to rise nearlyto the height of the fountain-head. The water thus cooled is to bepassed in tubes, channels, or other conduits through the body of thebuildings to be cooled.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 show refrigerators constructedaccording to my invention. The body A of the refrigerators may beconstructed in any convenient manner with single or multiple walls. Theinside of the refrigerator is lined with a series of pipes, as shown inFig. l at m,- or the walls and shelves of the refrigerator may behollow, as shown in Fig. 2. The pipe is to be connected so as to receivewater from the subterranean cooling apparatus already referred to, andthe pipe g so that there shall be a current of water flowing first fromthe water pipes or mains into the earth, so as to be cooled, then upthrough the pipe 12, through the refrigerator, and out by the pipe 9into the water main or pipe again. There is, therefore, no consumptionof the water in applying it to the purpose of refrigeration, as hereindescribed.

Instead of a refrigerator constructed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it willfrequently be more convenient to use a closet or small room for arefrigerator. The walls may be covered with pipes; or the cold water maybe conveyed venient manner. For the purpose of cooling milk, wines, andother liquids, stands such as shown in Fig. 3 may be used. The water ismade to circulate through the stand and keep it cooled. Any or all ofthese shelves, as shown in Fig.2, may be made in the form of suchstands. Bins for the storing of fruits and vegetables may in like mannerbe placed in any suitable part of a dwelling-house from the cellar tothe garret and made as cold at all times as a country dairy or aspring-house. The same principle of cooling and mode of construction isalso applicable to packing and preserving houses.

should connect with the water pipe or main,

through the chamber or closet in any conof ice or other coolingmaterial.

In the drawings, Fig. tshows amode of con- 1 an air-pipe, S, passingthrough a water-pipe,

structing a packing house for salting and curing meat. The entirebuilding may be kept cool, and the tanks for salting the meat may haveseparate coolers attached to them, either by making the walls double,with a current of cool water flowing through the space; or refrigeratingcoils or pipes may be placed in the tank. In Fig. 4c the walls are shownfourfold. The space between the outer and second wall may be filled withsawdust, air, charcoal, or any good non-conducting material. The secondspace is filled with air, and the third space with cold water, either inpipes or channels constructed for the purpose.

Fig. 5 shows a tank for salting and curing meat, which may be eitherround, square, or of any other form. When there is not a convenient headof flowing water to be cooled in the manner already described, I proceedas follows: The subterranean coolers are constructed in the manneralready pointed out; also, the vessel or structures to be cooled. Thepipes in the ground are connected with the pipes in the refrigerator, asshown in Fig. 5, in which 0 O are the subterranean coolers, with thepipes 12 and q. The coils m represent the system of devices for coolingthe refrigerator or other vessel. Both systems are filled with water,except air-vessels, as shown at Z, which are. designed to prevent thebursting of the pipes by any expansion of the water or sudden check inits 'motion. A pump, rotary pump, propeller-screw, or some otherdevices, as shown at D, must be inserted at some convenient point of thecircuit. Bythis device thewater in the upper and lower systems of pipesis to be made to circulate so that the cold water in the subterraneantanks or pipes is made to rise into the upper or cooling system, 'm, andthe water in m is made to descend and be cooled, to be again brought upto cool the pipes or system m.

Since the descending and ascending columns of water nearly balance eachother, but little force is required to cause a circulation of the water.This mode of cooling is applicable to all kinds of refrigerators,packing-houses, preserving houses, and the like, as already explained inthe former part of this specification, with reference to the use of theflowing current of water-works and similar sources of water-supply.

In packing-houses it is sometimes desirable to cool the brine in whichmeat is to be salted. This may be done by substituting brine for waterin the apparatus shown in Fig. 5. The cooled brine may be made todescend and ascend as often as necessary.

In cases where very intense cold is wanted, the system of cooling may beaided by the use Buildings for preserving and also packing houses shouldbe well ventilated, and for this purpose cold air is preferable. Air forthis purpose may be cooled by passing through or being compressed inpipes immersed in a cold well or in cold earth. Fig. 6 of the drawingsshows it. If the air is compressed into the pipe Sit will soon acquirethe temperature of the pipe. If then permitted to expand it will befound to be much lowered in temperature. By rarefying it the temperaturewill be still further reduced. Instead of compressing the air insubterranean pipes, as explained above,it may be compressed inreservoirs surrounded by cold earth, or in reservoirs or tankssurroundedby cold water in the earth,or cooled by means of the devices for coolingherein described; or the air may be compressed in tanks or pipes cooledby ice, or by ice or salt, or any other cooling material. By this modeof compressing and expanding air it is both cooled and dried, and istherefore .of great service in preserving organic matters, curing andcooling meat and other like uses requiring the air to be both cool anddry. Other modes of drying air, such as passing it throughwater-absorbent materials, may also be used in combination with theabove described modes of cooling.

The principle of cooling air by compression and expansion has long beenknown, and has been used for the manufacture of ice, and for coolingliquids; therefore I do not claim it except when used in connection withapparatus and devices for cooling and ventilating preserving-houses,packing-houses, refrigerators, and other like structures, as hereinexplained.

To assist in cooling the walls and the air in packinghousesthe principleof cooling by evaporation may be conveniently applied. Thus the wallsand the airspace in the walls may be kept cool by moistening the insideby means a jet of water, and keeping a current of air flowing through.In Fig. 4 the space may be kept moist and the air carried off by pipes.

Tanks for the purpose of cooling off meat, and for giving it salt may beconstructed in packing-houses, the construction being similar to theconstruction of the walls of the building, as shown in Fig. 5, or simplydouble walls, as shown in Fig. 7.

By the application of my invention refrigerators and pantries indwellings may be kept at a uniform temperature throughout the year withonly a small cost forthe cooling means.

In cities where there are water pipes or mains near the houses, the onlycost is that for the fixtures, for the current of water is taken fromthe street-mains, caused to descend into the earth to be cooled, thencarried in pipes or channels through the refrigerators or otherstructures, and then passes off into the main water-pipes, without loss,and is ready to go the next house and perform the same work of cooling.When there is not a water-supply, the only expense,in addition to thecost of the necessary fixtures, is the expenditure for the small forcerequired to operate the devices,

such as shown at k, Fig. 5, or other equivalent the coils or tanks inthe earth to the air-cooling apparatus.

In constructing packing-houses the mode of forming the walls, floors,and roof, explained in my patent of September 13, 1864, may be used withadvantage, so as to prevent, as far as possible the entrance of heatfrom the outside.

It is obvious that in very cold weather, as in winter, my system ofcooling will become a mode of warming, so that freezing can be preventedin the class of structures which are the subjects of this improvement,for the temperature of the earth at the depth of the subterraneancoolers is nearly constant throughout the year, and is therefore inwinter warmer than the temperature of the air at the earths surface, andwater from the earth s surface flowing through the subterraneanreservoirs,tanks, or pipes will have its temperature increased. Byadding any convenient heating apparatus as a steam-boiler or afurnacethe water may be still further warmed, so that in the coldestweather the buildings may be kept at the exact temperature required, andthe temperature thus equalized throughout the year. This is veryimportant in packing-houses, preservinghouses, and the like, where auniform cool temperature is what is desired, avoiding on the one handsuch warmth as would produce fermentation or decay, and on the other thedestructive effects of freezing.

Besides such substances as meats, fruits, and other articles of food,which are injured by heat and by freezing there are still others, to thestoring of which my invention is especially applicable. Volatileliquids-such as pretroleum, benzine, and the like-should be stored incool buildings, so as to prevent the generation of combustible andexplosive gases.

Having thus described my invention, and the several modes of applying itfor the purpose of cooling and ventilating the several kinds ofstructures herein particularly specified, I do not wish to limit myselfto the mechanical details of the several devices shown in the drawings,since it is evident that these may be greatly varried without departingfrom the nature of my invention. I do not claim as new these devicesexcept as arranged and combined so as to effect the cooling andventilating, either one or both, of the class of structures hereinespecially referred to.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process herein described for the purpose of coolingpreserving-houses, packinghouses, refrigerators, storerrooms, andsimilar structures, said process consisting in uslng the low temperatureof the earth at certain depths below its surface for the purpose ofcooling either water or air, or both, by means of a combination ofdevices and apparatus, substantially such as herein described, or theirequivalents.

2. The process herein described, or any equivalent means for coolingwater, in combination with the process for cooling air by firstcompressing it in contact with a cold surface, and then permitting it toexpand when used for the purpose of cooling and preserving, as hereinset forth, as described.

3. Cooling refrigerators and salting-tanks and packing-houses and othersimilar structures by means of a current of cold water orcold brine, asset forth and described.

D. E. SOMES.

Witnesses: 1

FRED B. GRIM,

GEO. W. J OHNSON.

